Snap-switch for sad-irons and the like.



S. TROGD. SNAP SWITCH Foa SAU lRoNs AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28. i913.

Patented Deo. 4, 1917.

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WITNESSES:

i gNVENTR Y BY ATTORNEY UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

SAMUEL TROOD, OF EDGEWOOD PARK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR. TO WESTINGHOUSEELECTRIC AND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPORATION F PENNSYLVANIA.

SNAP-SWITCH FOB SAD-IBONS AND THE LIKE.

Speoinoation ofLetters Patent.

Patented' Dec. 4, 1917.v

Application led January 28, 1913. Serial No. 744,678.

` To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAMUEL Tnoon, a citizenof the United States, and a resident of Edgewood Park, in the county ofAlle gheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Snap-Switches for Sad-Irons and the like, of which thefollowing is a specification.

My invention relates to electric `:switching devices, and it has specialreference to snapswitchesadapted for use in the handles of sad irons or'other switch-controlled electric ap aratus.

ne object of my invention is to provide a snap switch in the handle of asad iron or other electric appliance which shall have a quick, positiveand reliable action and shall be located in the manner and place mostconvenient for the `user of the iron.

Another object of my invention is to provide a switch of compact andrugged construction which shall also be inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object of my invention is to provide a magnetic blowout coilin connection with the relatively movable contact members of the switchmechanism for extinguishing arcs formed by interruption of 7 thecircuit.

Heretofore, switches associated with the handles of sad irons andsimilar implements have been of the ordinary blade or some otherslow-moving type, with the consequent burning of contacts and otherdeleterious features which have yrendered the action of the switchesmore or less unreliable. Moreover, the switches provided have been bulkyand expensive, entailing difliculty of installation and repair.

f According to my invention, I provide a -switch of a quick-break type,commonly plane, thus being directly adjacent to the/ natural position ofthe thumb and forefinger of the operator.

An illustrative embodiment of my invention, as applied to anelectrically heated sad iron, is shown in the accompanying drawing, inwhich Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partially in section, of asad iron embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partiallyin elevation and partially in section, of the switch mechanism, showingthe construction thereof; and Fig. 3 is a view of a modification of myinvention employing a magnetic blowout coil in proximity to the switchcontact surfaces,

making connection to an exterior source of` electrical energy. Theabove-named p ts, other than the handle 5 and the cont nts thereof, areold and well-known in the art and will not further be described. Itshould be understood, however, that my invention need not be restrictedto use inthe Ihandle of a sad iron, but may be employed in-otherelectrical devices.

The supply conductors 11 extend through the open rear end of the handle5, and are connected to binding posts 8 and 9 of the terminal board 7.Leads 12 extend from the binding posts 8 and 9 through the rear handlesupport 6 to the heating element 4, and

leads 12l connect the binding posts 9 and 9l to the contact terminals ofthe switch mechanism 10.

The switch mechanism 10 comprises a vertically disposed push button 13,and a conducting shell 19 concentrically disposed around the button 13and expanded at one end to form an annular recess 2O for a Agarterspring 21 which surrounds and engages the button 13.

`A plurality of vertically alined openings 22 are provided in the handle5, and the push button 13 is disposed to project through said openings,thus adapting the switch for operation by the user of the iron. Thepush-button 13 comprises four sections, namely: two outer cylindricalsections 16 and 17 composed of insulating material and adapted to extendthrough the openings 22 V in the handle 5, a frusto-conical section 15of insulating material, and a frusto-conical section 14 of conductingmaterial, provided with an integral outwardly-projecting end flange 23for making contact with the upper wall of the recess 20 of the shell 19.The sections 14 and 15 are suitably held together to constitute a doublefrusto-conical cam, and the conducting portion 14 is connected to thebinding post 9 by one of the leads 12a. The lower end of the shell 19 isconnected to the binding post 9*?L by the second lead 12". Suitablemembers 24 of insulating material inclose a longitudinally-disposedsupporting bar 25 attached to the body of the handle 5 for holding theswitch mechanism 10 and terminal-board 7 rigidly in position. l

In the modification shown in Fig. 3, the push-button 13 and a shell 26,provided with ar recess 27 of slightly different shape from the recess20, are inclosed by a blow-out magnet coil 28 for extinguishing arcsproduced by the separation of the flange 23 and the top wall of therecess 27, which two members are connected to the opposite lineterminals through the blowout coil 28 and the heater element 4, as inthe switch mechanism first described.

Assuming the switch to be in the closed position, as shown in thedrawing, the operation, when opening Lthe circuit, is as follows: Theend =`of the push button 13 that projects through the lower opening 22in the handle 5, is pressed inwardly against the force exerted by thegarter spring 21 upon the frusto-conical section 14 until the plane 18of the cam passes the central plane of the spring, whereupon the contactflange 23 is snapped into its off position by the contraction of thespring.

In closing the circuit, the upper end of the button 13 is pressedinwardly against the force of the spring 21 exerted against the surfaceof the section l5 until the plane 18 passes the central plane of thespring, whereupon the spring pressure upon the surface of section 14will move the flange 23 into contact with the outer surface of therecess 20 with a sna action.

I do not Wish to e restricted to the specie structural details hereinset forth, but desire that only such limitations shall be imposed as areindicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An electric switch embodying a contact-carryingactuating memberprovided with a cam comprising oppositely-disposed frusto-conicalsections one of which is of conducting material, a coperating stationarycontact member' surrounding said actuating member, a recess disposednear one end of said stationary member, and a resilient tension memberdisposed within said recess and engaging said cam for giving anaccelerated movement to said actuating member.

2. An electric switch embodying a contact-carrying actuating memberprovided with a cam comprising oppositely-disposed frusto-conicalsections one of which is of conducting material, a coperating stationaryhollow contact member concentrically disposed around said actuatingmember and provided with an annular integral recess at one end, and agarter spring disposed within said recess and engaging said cam forgiving an accelerated movement to said actuating member.

3. An electric switch embodying a contact-carrying reciprocating memberprovided with a cam comprising oppositelydisposed frusto-conicalsections one of which is of insulating material and the other of whichconstitutes a movable contact member, a coperating tubular stationarycontact member surrounding said rociprocating member and having anannular recess near one end, and a garter spring disposed within saidrecess and engaging said cam for giving an accelerated movement to saidreciprocating member.

4. An electric switch embodying a contact-carrying reciprocating memberprovided with a cam comprising oppositelydisposed frusto-conicalsections one of which is of insulating material and the other of whichlconstitutes a movable contact member, a coperating tubular stationarycontact member concentrically disposed around said reciprocating memberand provided with an annular integral recess, and a garter springdisposed within said recess and engaging said cam for giving an accel-.erated movement to said reciprocating member.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 23rd dayof J anuary, 1913. A

SAMUEL TROOD.

Witnesses:

R. J. RIDGE, B. B. HINEs.

